30 in 30: Change Your Voicemail Recording

It’s huge turn-off for a potential employer to call your cell phone and be redirected to a scene from Scarface. Be brief and professional. Go with something along the lines of, “Hi, you’ve reached Frederick Werner. I’m unable to answer the phone right now but if you leave your name and number I will get back to you as soon as possible.” You’ll sound like a dingus to your friends, but it’s a small price to pay.

Looking for a job in the new year? Be sure to stay on top of all the essential job-hunting tips from Gradspot's new series, 30 in 30: The Insider's Guide to Job-Hunting in '09. If you'd like to share your own tips with the Gradspot community, email 30in30 [at] gradspot dot com with your tip, your occupation/industry of interest, and your name as you'd like it to appear on the site.